North Star
by Readergirl37
Summary: Elena finds Elijah in England, after a decade of being a vampire. They've lived there and become close friends in four years. She asks him to help her find a book-by searching for it themselves, despite the fact he can pull a few strings, he goes on an adventure at Elena's insistence. Multi chapter Elijah/Elena
1. Plan

An: Inspired by the Owl City song galaxy-the lyrics "But dear God, You're the only North Star I would follow this far."

* * *

She asks him while sitting in his armchair no less, big eyes and pouty lip. She has a slight accent now, it's endearing and he knows it's a lost cause as soon as she asks because it's her.

"How quickly do you want to leave?" He sighs in resignation. She grins, she knows she's won.

"As soon as possible." She proposes. He shakes his head.

"Give me a day." He requests. He needs to get his affairs in order.

"Okay." She grins. A long trip just for a bookstore. Or several to find a rare book. But it's Elena and he has a hard time saying no to the young vampire. He likes her company. England has been a little too routine anyway, he tells himself.

"I'll pick you up at seven am." He tells her, and she nods, smile on her face.

"Great." She says, and she disappears, he almost forgets she has her own place of residence in this city, she's over so much. She has her own room and closet filled with her things in his house because of it. She's off to go pack, he assumes. He fixes himself a drink and begins to finish business that cannot be put off. There's a little part of him that is looking forward to it. More alone time with Elena. Bonding. He's always admired her, and values their friendship greatly. Maybe it is a good idea to get rid of the routine.


	2. 7AM

He's not disappointed when he opens her door at seven am, she's putting on a jacket Caroline had sent her a week weeks prior. She's ready to go. Caroline had great taste, Elijah would admit. Although her attempts to get him into anything other than suits was admirable, he was stubborn-Elena had called it. He liked to call it a preference. He knew what he liked.

He notes her luggage, and bright eyes.

"Are we taking the jet?" She asks, as she picks up the bags. He nods, taking one of the bags for her.

"Woo!" She cheers. She can't quite stand commercial flights yet, there's too many people. A lot of blood. He understands.

It's nice, being a vampire, she thinks as he opens the trunk and they set her luggage in it. Her first year, she was working at a newspaper she wasn't fond of before she ran into him-when he ran into her again he asked her to trust him with her financials. She doesn't need to worry about money, not with whatever Elijah did to her bank account-investments in the right places apparently. She thanked him, he waved it off. Just a little favor in his mind.

She asks, a tone of excitement in her voice, if she can choose the music on the road trip part. When they get back to the States. He says yes, wondering if he'll regret the decision later. He's not sure if he will though, almost anything that makes Elena smile can't be that bad.


	3. Jet

She sleeps on the jet, which makes him wonder if she's attempting to avoid jet lag or if she slept at all the night before. Regardless, he opens his book-he hasn't had the time to read it until then-he plans to take full advantage of their long flight to Maine. Why she chose Maine as their starting place, he had no idea. He supposed working their way down the coast would make sense, but letting him make a few calls to get her the book for her birthday would have been infinitely simpler. No, she had declared-she wanted a road trip to find it.

He has a feeling they'll come back with double the luggage. Bags full of books. He's been meaning to expand his library anyway.


	4. Maine

They arrive at a quiet Maine airport, Elena wakes up as the plane lands. Elijah has a car waiting for their use, for the road trip aspect of their journey. He caught up on most of his reading, a more productive time than he had previously estimated. Elena stretches and they take their luggage, he knows she doesn't like her things being touched or taken by people she's never met-and leave. He thanks the pilot, and apologizes for the short notice as Elena tries to figure out if he has the keys. She sets her bag down and finds them in the ignition. Huh, she almost says, but she just opens the trunk and puts her things in it. It's a fairly new car, she's sure she's seen it on a commercial or a hundred-but she doesn't both looking at the brand. The car is started, the trunk still open for him and she's in the passenger seat as he finally gets to the car. She turns on the radio for the few seconds of waiting, she hears the slam of the trunk being closed, and Elijah slides into the driver's seat. He asks what the name of the same little town they're starting at is called. It's late in the afternoon, and he assumes she wants to go explore and then eat a human dinner and check into whatever bed and breakfast she reserved the night before.

He's not that far off.


	5. Correct

She directs him to an actual bed and breakfast, and they check in-they have a single room with two beds.

"I figured two rooms would be weird, and I couldn't get two next to each other." She explains as she sets her things down. It's not a big deal, she's actually fallen asleep against him on his couch before. It's just sharing a room. Even though she has slight butterflies thinking about it, she remembers that they're just friends. Right. She tells him that the bookshop is in town, it'll close in less than an hour so she figured they could go look the next day-she asks if he wants to go get dinner. Human dinner, it's too small of a town to risk feeding. He agrees, adjusting his suit. She stares a few seconds longer than needed and then looks away. She proposes that they walk around the town.


	6. Library

He agrees, of course he does, and they explore the quiet town. She sticks close to him, and she points out the shops and the bookstores. She convinces him to look in the town library with her, and it's beautiful. He thinks, as she looks at the oddly extensive amount of fairy tale books-that if he had been born this century, human, with Elena-he wouldn't mind moving somewhere peaceful like this, and he tries to stop that particular train of thought because he's in love with her and reminding himself that she most likely does not feel the same is painful. But then, he's always had a high pain tolerance. Even as a human. Elena's voice interrupts his thoughts, she's close, staring into his eyes intensely.

"Elijah?" She asks quietly.

"Yes?" He asks, his eyes focusing from whatever he had stared off into space looking at.

"You looked a thousand miles away." She murmurs.

"Just a few feet, I promise you." He quips and she smiles. He loves her smile.

She exits the library, the Original following behind her. They find a diner for dinner. He promises her real food, using one of their code words for blood, the next day. She looks relieved. They had both had blood before they left, but Elena needs blood more frequently than he does. She's still a young vampire.


	7. Dreams

The beds are comfortable, although Elijah misses his own. Just a little bit. Elena's already asleep, as soon as she exited the bathroom in pajamas, wet hair and all. She still breathes like she's human, a habit she hasn't bothered to break, and in the quiet darkness of the room, it's slow and soft-the sound makes him yawn, and he drifts into a dream.


	8. Flowers

Elena is up before he is, which is almost surprising as he yawns, but she's doing her hair. He can hear it. He stays in bed for a few more minutes, and then she starts talking to him. She tells him the plan for the day. It's barely thirty minutes until they're out the door for breakfast, and then the bookstore. The next stop will be bigger, she promises. He catches her meaning. They both hear whispers from the townspeople, wondering who they are. Elijah talks about his latest work in progress book, loudly enough for humans to hear, quietly enough that it doesn't sound like bragging. Elena engages him in coded conversation, and he grins as they see the waitress's face when she finds the hundred dollar bill on the table instead of waiting for the check.

She leads him to the bookstore, telling him it wasn't a very likely place to have it, but the person she had talked to said they thought they had a copy. He nods, and they enter the small store. It's crammed with books, the book cases go to the ceiling and Elena tells him she's off to find someone who works there. He looks around, finding a book he had wanted but hadn't gotten around to buying as he hears someone tell Elena that they didn't have the book. She doesn't return immediately, she's looking through the stacks too.

They end up with five books and a blank book between the two of them. He wonders what she's going to do with the blank book, but doesn't ask. If she wants to tell him, she will. He pays, and they walk back to the bed and breakfast.

They pack, not like they unpacked very much to begin with, and she checks them out while he loads the car. It's nice, she thinks. She's never been to Maine before.

He drives, and they're on a road that has been void of other people for miles when she quietly requests that he stop. So he parks, in the road, and she gets out. There are wildflowers nearby, and she carefully picks one. He watches her carry it back to the car, and she takes the blank book, and writes the date, their approximate location, and the kind of flower. Then she puts it between the pages. She's making a book of pressed flowers, he discovers. She carefully slides it underneath the other books in the backseat. He smiles, something she doesn't see, and she shuts the door and he continues driving.


	9. States

They go through several of the littler states, and they have to stop when they reach Connecticut, he mails all of the books that they won't read on their trip to his home. He has a feeling it won't be the last time. Elena grins and sticks the postage on. She shows him her flower book when they're in Maryland. It's been a few weeks of it. He wonders if they'll go through the other thirty nine states. He has told her that they're not going to Hawaii or Alaska. She pretended to pout before telling him she expected just forty eight states.


	10. Hotel

She drives after they get done with North Carolina, he's busy doing whatever it is. He's definitely not speaking English, and she stopped wondering about what the hell he calls business a few days ago. She wonders how he has wifi, but she hands him a blood bag after she's driven for ten hours. They're almost to their destination. A hotel, he had reserved it this time. They're right by a state border, but she wants to stop. She hasn't found any flowers yet and she wants sleep more than she wants blood.

He gets off the phone as she parks in the hotel parking lot.

He takes their bags, and she grins at him. It's dark, and she laughs a little too loudly for the quiet night. She explains before he asks, that a few years ago she would have been terrified to be in a parking lot this late. The world opened up after her death. It's all in code, they still use it. She likes code talking with him, they're still allies, although no one has tried to kill her of late. She suspects it has something to do with the Original she's with.

Elena doesn't bother changing when they get to their room, two beds. She doesn't admire the beautiful view or anything other than the pillow under her head. Elijah notes her breathing as sleeping, and pauses his work, at the desk near the window, to pull the covers over her. She mumbles something even he can't understand, and he goes to bed an hour later, with wet hair and a tired mind.


	11. Home

She's beginning to think it's a little hopeless as Elijah mails back their sixth box of books since their trip began. They still haven't found the rare book. She carefully presses the postage on the box, and she realizes with a groan that they'll have to sort the books when they get home. She thinks of his house, she realizes, when she thinks of England. She isn't sure how she feels about it. They still have that space between them.


	12. Brother

AN: I'm sorry I only wrote four chapters tonight but I'm exhausted, sorry!

They stop in New Orleans. He doesn't ask her to, he knows she's still uncomfortable around Klaus, so she goes exploring as he catches up with his brother. She wonders around, ducking into different stores and finds place she decides to take Elijah to the next day. She texts him that she's a little lost and she's pretty sure someone is following her, and he asks for an address. She texts one of the building she's leaning against. He promises to be there quickly. She moves her hair up into a ponytail, closing her eyes to remember doing it as a human. Being a cheerleader seems like lifetime ago. Elijah appears a minute or two later, telling her that while New Orleans is under his brother's control for the most part, it's still a little unsafe. She nods. She loops her arm in his, and he allows it. They get back to the car, and she drives to another city for a hotel. He doesn't see the tension leave her body until she's yawning, her hair drying on a pillow. She tries to tell him about the bookstores, but she yawns and her eyes close.

He's dressed and ending a call when she yawns and stretches. She promises to be ready in a few minutes, and he nods. He's reading a book from her pile, she realizes as she deals with her hair.

The book is back where it's supposed to be when she gets out, and she glances at Elijah before he opens the door to leave their room. She pauses, and makes the decision to invade the space between them. She carefully moves his tie, and he can hear her heartbeat speed up a little. She still has her hands on his tie when she awkwardly explains his tie was crooked. She begins to apologize and he thanks her. He asks for the keys, she's driven enough the past few days.


	13. Hozier

AN: Song mentioned is supposed to be Arsonist's Lullaby

He's impressed with the amount of books they find in New Orleans, he finds a few grimoires for contacts he knows will want them. She chooses the music as they're packed, the backseat filled with books. She plays something that matches the mood, Hozier-she tells him.

She sings along to the album. He doesn't mind. She finds a flower right before they leave Louisiana. She records and presses it.


	14. Texas

AN: I know the filming location for Hotel Carmilla was in West Hollywood, but it's set in Dallas in True Blood.

They mail the books at the next post office they see, and she makes reservations at a hotel. There's a bookstore nearby, not one that would have anything rare-one of those bookstore chains-but she convinces him to go anyway. She looks through the adventure books while he tells her he'll be down in the history section.

She's debating the pros and cons of Game of Thrones, she likes reading and she's heard they're good-but there's a lot of death. She's not sure she wants something like that. And of course, she thinks later. It had to be Texas.

There's a man who's chatting her up, Elijah can hear. It's perfectly fine for Elena to go out and date, but he feels slightly odd about it. He brushes it off, and he hears the man ask her out. She tells him no, and while she can overpower the human, Elijah is a little worried she might show her abilities. He's next to her in a few seconds, mindful of having almost human speed as he does.

"Did you find the book you wanted?" He asks. Elena is looking at him with relieved eyes and something else he's seen but can't place.

"I did, what about you, darling?" She asks. He doesn't react, they have company, who's watching them.

"I found a few books for my brother. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" He asks lightly.

"I was, uh- just leaving." The human assures him. When his back is turned, Elijah grins.

"Sorry for doing that it's just he wouldn't leave me alone and I-" She stops when he opens his mouth.

"It's perfectly fine, Elena." He wishes that the man would have taken her word instead of needing to see Elijah. He would have wondered when men lost their manners, but very few had them centuries before either.

"Ready to check out?" He asks in a light tone. He wonders what she would call him if they were in a relationship. She's told him about how Rose compared him to the Easter Bunny. They had laughed for ages, knowing he was anything but.

They buy their books, and she drives to the hotel. He wonders what she does when he's not around because the song playing sounds like a vampire cowboy attempting to talk dirty.

"Ta-dah." She says, and they're in the parking lot.

"What?" He asks. She looks like she's about to laugh.

"It's one of the hotels shown in True Blood. Hotel Carmilla." She tells him and he laughs with her. _I love you_ almost escapes his lips. They fall into their routine and he jokes that it shouldn't be hard to find someone to have for dinner. She just laughs.


	15. Lonely

AN: I know you guys like long chapters, so sorry this is my only update today! More tomorrow I swear.

He's almost asleep when he hears movement. It's Elena, he can tell, and he wonders what time it is. She's tying her converse, he can hear the slide of her room key from the nightstand between their beds. She doesn't take her phone, and she carefully move out of the room. She shuts the door gently.

He considers following her, but he decides to wait a few minutes. She could just be hungry. When ten minutes pass, he gets dressed, suit and all-off to find her.

He's almost surprised by the Texas heat, their room is almost a freezer in comparison. He closes his eyes as he stands outside of the hotel. He can pick her heartbeat out, and follows it.

He finds her wandering around in a park, not too far away. She's sitting on a swing, and she doesn't look surprised when he sits next to her.

"Elena." He acknowledges.

"Elijah." She returns. It's hot, and she closes her eyes to enjoy it. It's hot enough to be nice, not overly hot like it is in the daytime. It's dark, and they can hear cars and people. Farther away. She still feels lonely.

"I almost forgot the night sky can be cloudy." She says, and he doesn't respond. He's waiting for her to continue, or just let her think.

"I just felt like I needed to be outside." She sighs. Her feet push at the ground and the swing groans, as she repeats the action. She's swinging, but not too quickly.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" He asks quietly. She shakes her head.

"It's stupid." Elena tells him, slowing down, she puts her foot out to stop the swing. He waits for her to elaborate.

"I just felt a little lonely. And cold." She tells him. He was a few feet away in their room, but she didn't want to bother him. Usually she had more physical contact, Caroline hugged her like crazy when she came to visit-Elijah just enjoyed invading her space. He rarely touched her. And it was fine, but she wanted a hug. Something genuine.

"I thought-" She trails off for a moment, moving her head to look at the cloudy sky-

"That if I came out here, it'd be different. It's warm, and it's not so lonely. There are people out here too. But I don't want to bother them either. You were sleeping. I didn't mean to wake you up." She continues, and moves off the swing. She walks, and he watches before joining her. She sits on the metal roundabout, painted in a striped rainbow.

He sits next to her. There's just a thin bar of metal separating them, and she can almost feel his leg against hers. She sighs, sleep starting to take over her system. She leans her head against his shoulder.

"Sorry this book is so hard to find." She apologizes. She feels the laughter move his body.

"I've searched longer for things far less valuable, Elena. I enjoy this "book hunt adventure" as you've called it, with you." He admits. Her head is a welcome weight against his shoulder. She lets out a yawn.

"We should head back before I pass out here." She tells him, trying to hide another yawn. She moves her head from his shoulder, and he follows her back to their room.

He's almost asleep again when he hears Elena ask if she can sleep next to him. Her bed is right by the air conditioner, and she's freezing. He agrees, his tired mind not thinking of consequences but a warm and sleepy Elena nearby is not a bad thing in any mindset. So he agrees, and he can tell she's a foot away, but doesn't mind. He doesn't dream.

He wakes up at his alarm, his left hand searching for his phone to silence it-he hopes it didn't wake Elena. Her bed is empty, he notes, and recognizes the weight against him. Elena. He blinks, and he decides, in his tired mind, a few more hours wouldn't hurt. So he closes his eyes again.

They don't get up until the late afternoon, their usually tight schedule restricts their sleep.

Elena's head is against his right arm, the rest of her is inches away from him. He likes the nearness. He's not one to usually be physically close, but he doesn't mind it with Elena. _Because you're in love with her_ , part of his brain reminds him. She yawns, and makes no attempt to move away.

"Morning." She greets.

"Afternoon." He corrects and she curses.

"I'll get ready and then I need coffee or blood. Have you tried blood in coffee? Is that a thing?" She asks, moving off his bed and checking her phone, pulling out an outfit.

"I've never heard of blood in coffee before." He informs her.

"That sucks." She tells him before he sees her move into the bathroom.

"I'll go get you coffee." He promises, knowing she can hear him through the door.

"Thank you!" She says, and he hears water begin to run. He gets out of bed, almost ready to face the day.


	16. Kansas

AN: song mentioned is Counting Stars by OneRepublic

It's fine, he tells himself. They are just close friends, and he's not going to ruin it by being an imbecile. He opens the door to see her packing, she stops when she sees him. She grins and he finds himself grinning back.

"You're a saint." She tells him, their fingers touch as he hands her the coffee. She makes a pleased noise after she takes her first sip. He knows her order, of course he does-she's dragged him to way too many coffee places over their few years together.

"Definitely a saint." She murmurs, taking another sip of frozen coffee. He got her the largest size possible, and she's thankful.

"Thank you." She tells him. He nods.

"You're welcome." He says, waving it off. He moves, packing his bag in a flash. She's ready to go when he is, and she offers to drive. He hands her the keys, and she makes vampire jokes until she's driving. He laughs at a few of them. Some just get a good natured eye roll. She plays a pop song that he listens to, she's singing enthusiastically as she keeps an eyes on the road. He finds it a little fitting for them. He prevents two almost massacres, arranges three deaths, orders four books, deletes five emails and glances at Elena six times in the time before they stop in Oklahoma.

They check out the bookstore, and don't buy anything, and she tells him their hotel reservation is in Kansas as they take a quick break, and she buys two large coffees. He doesn't need coffee. He knows they're both for her. When they get back in the car, she peels out of the parking lot, the music changes to fast and intense, she wants to be on time. She speeds for hours, and if he were a baby vampire, it might be a little terrifying. He's driven faster. In cars meant to do so, of course. It's an odd feeling when he thinks of it-pushing machines to go as fast as possible that can't match him-he could crash and fly through the expensive windshield and be fine. Save for his suit. The invincibility is intoxicating sometimes, and he knows he'll need to keep an eye on Elena until the temporary high fades.

They make it in record time, he's genuinely surprised they weren't pulled over, but they check into their hotel, and when they reach their room, she's out immediately. The high makes her tired, he notes. The almost entire gallon of frozen coffee might have also had a role to play in her tiredness as well. He carefully removes her jacket and shoes, plugs her phone in to charge, and moves the covers up. He'll get blood in the morning. He moves their things, and decides to go to sleep early as well. He still feels like he's in a car, even as he moves into bed with wet hair and pajamas.


	17. Doughnuts

She wakes up first, and her movements wake him up. She's opened the curtains and noted the hour, it's 8:03 AM, according to her phone. She looks at him as he sits up. It's still odd for her to see him in anything other than a suit, she thinks. She says good morning and tells him she calls dibs on the shower. He nods and tells her he'll go get breakfast. She thanks him and tells him to be careful. They aren't in one of the bigger cities of Kansas. They usually didn't run into trouble with humans, but just in case. He assures her he will be, she knows he always is.

He's back as she's putting her sweater on, she's not embarrassed, he's seen her covered in blood and dresses. It's hardly a big deal for him to know what her bra looks like. He merely quirks an eyebrow and offers her a doughnut. If he was interested in her, she's sure he'd have a better reaction. Then again, maybe not. Elijah's always been good at keeping his emotions from people. She wonders when she became interested in him. It might have been in Mystic Falls, it could have been Prague or when she saw him again in England, or the month he trained her on how to be deadly. How to move to kill. Being a deadly gentleman seems to be his natural state, at least since she's met him. It's not surprising to her that he's a beautifully efficient fighter and killer.

She picks the doughnut with sprinkles. He picks the chocolate.


	18. Seventies

AN: I'm so sorry but I won't be updating Colors until the weekend, I've been working on plot lately, and trying to stay in character. Song for this chapter: Riptide by Vance Joy

* * *

She drives, a little too quickly for the speed limit. But the road is empty, and she sighs.

"I thought Kansas was flat." She remarks and he chuckles.

"A common misconception." He tells her.

She slows down suddenly, and asks him to pretty please get her flower book. He does, and she parks when the car stops. He hands her the book and she smiles at him and turns up the radio, so she can hear it as she picks sunflowers. She sings to it as he watches, carefully. She picks one, and picks one for Elijah. She gets back to the car at a human speed, just before a truck zooms past them. She's still singing to the song as she trades the bigger sunflower for her book.

After she carefully records the sunflower and presses it, placing it under the other books in the backseat, he tries to hand the sunflower back to her.

"Keep it." She says, and so he puts it in her unfinished bottle of water as she starts the car. She quirks her lips.

"You're lucky that it's too early in the morning for me to want to drink that." Is all she says, and he smirks.

They're in Nebraska after what seems like an eternity to Elena, she's already burned through all of the Florence and the Machine albums she has on her phone, she's just started playing music by Panicking! At the Disco. Or so he thinks. He never panicked at a disco, and tells her so. She laughs so hard she almost can't breathe during a song about the girl that someone loves. Nebraska looks like Kansas, she doesn't know why she expected it to be different. She can't imagine Elijah at a disco, and tells him so. She can see him in vintage suits, but anything else is a stretch.

He laughs and tells her about life in the seventies. She adjusts the music accordingly. Electric Lights Orchestra comes out of the speakers and he tells her about what he remembers when each song comes out. She hasn't really grasped the concept of forever, not until just then.


	19. Casserole

Nebraska is just like Kansas, and they send back another box of books a few hours before the border into South Dakota. They carefully feed there, they don't leave bite marks behind, the people they drunk from are compelled to forget and to clean the blood off their necks. It's colder in South Dakota, it's amazing to Elena how a few hundred miles can make such a difference. Texas was so hot. She can wear layers here. They listen to more music Elijah's never heard of, he's not sure if he likes it. It makes Elena happy though, she sings along and speeds. He doesn't even tell her to refrain from the latter. She likes speed. He prefers that she doesn't go slow, they have a deadline now. They have a month until they need to be in California. Elena seems to enjoy the challenge. She's never pushed herself like this before. It's not until they cross the Colorado state border that Elijah gives her directions. To what, she isn't sure, so she asks. He tells her he has a house here. Not too far away. He called ahead a few days ago, she will be invited in, and there's blood and food there. Elena grins at him. She's starting to get a little sick of hotel rooms.

* * *

It's a gorgeous house, and when she rings the doorbell, her bag in her hand, it's opened immediately and she's invited in.

She wonders how many houses Elijah has, she knows it's several, she's only been to a few.

* * *

She hugs him when he's settled into his bedroom, this is really nice, and she enjoys the space. They don't usually hug, and he likes it when they do. She initiates almost all of their physical contact, and this is why he could see centuries with her. Not even romantically, although he wants that-he'd be content just to do this. Just be her friend and make her happy because that's what important. She tells him she's going to make dinner, which she's excited about because they've eaten out so much lately she swears she forgot how to cook. He laughs, and she feels it as she adjusts her head by his shoulder. He tells her that he's never forgotten any of his cooking skills and she shushes him. He lets her. She just hugs him for a few minutes, and it's a security thing to her, he recognizes. She doesn't need to tell him she trusts him like she trusts Caroline and Bonnie, _he knows._ Once he had required her assistance for a deal in New Orleans, and they had stayed with Klaus-she hadn't slept in the two days they were there. But when they were leaving and he was driving, she was asleep in the passenger seat almost instantly.

* * *

She makes dinner and he helps her, in the capacity he's allowed. She does tell him that if he can make anything out of what's available into dessert, that he should do that once everything's in the oven and she's out of the kitchen. She has flour on her nose and wants a long, hot shower. Just because. He points out the flour when she's going to leave, she allows him to carefully get it off. She thanks him and she's off.

He doesn't find anything he wants to make, but he does discover a box of chocolate, apparently left by the human he owns the house with. They're unopened, and there's a note that says they're for the girl he's with. Elijah's a little offended that his friend doesn't remember he likes chocolate too. He makes a note to remind his friend later, he recycles the the note and checks on whatever Elena wouldn't let him help make. It's a casserole, he thinks. It looks and smells delicious, whatever it is.


	20. Chocolate

They eat, and Elena thanks him when he shows her the chocolate. He knows she's about to ask, so he explains that the human who co-owns the house with had left them for him to find. She asks him why the other man had left so suddenly, he had invited her in and talked to Elijah for a few moments as she unpacked. Then he left.

"He's a fairly average business man. He's in a meeting right now." He tells her, as they sit and eat chocolate on the couch. The box is in between them.

She laughs. Just an average business man who did business with one of the Originals. Totally normal.

"What's this one?" Elena holds up a square of chocolate, resuming their game.

"Caramel." He decides, and she takes a little bite.

"You're right." She confirms as she pops the rest of it into her mouth.

He looks thoughtful for a moment.

"Your turn." He reminds her, and she plucks a square out of the box.

"It's nougat." She tells him, and he accepts it.

He takes a bite and chews. She watches with anticipation.

"Correct." He tells her. She grins. They still have half the box to go. It's not a bad way to spend the night, she thinks. Not at all.


	21. Perhaps

They're in Nevada, they have four more states and a deadline pressing into Elena's brain. She doesn't suggest Vegas and neither does he. She appreciates the dry heat, it's an interesting change. She had wet hair, about five minutes ago. She tells Elijah it's disturbing how quickly her hair dried, and he just gives her one of those amused looks of his.

"You'd agree with me if you still had long hair, mister." She tells him as she drives. She has coffee in her system, she's going to drive until they get to Arizona and then they'll drive to California. She's told him that they should have it this time. She plays upbeat music, and a lyric strikes him.

"But dear gods, you're the only North Star I would follow this far." He looks at Elena, thinking of her with that lyric in mind. It's true. He hasn't ever felt the want or understood the need to be in someone's company like he has with Elena. He remembers her phrasing from when she was human. They have an understanding, as she had called it. It's a good way to put it. She wonders if the butterflies she gets around him sometimes will ever fade. He's staring at her, she can feel it.

"Perhaps." He says.


	22. Finally

They're in Oregon when they find it. Her smile is so big that it's all worth it, and she thanks him for having patience and buys it immediately. They walk out to the car and she puts it in the passenger seat and she shuts the door, and hugs him.

"I love you. Thank you for going through this for a single book." She tells him, she hasn't slept in almost six days, her verbal filter is off. That's what he tells himself. She says those three words to Caroline every time they talk. She says them to her brother and Bonnie, it's just how she expresses friendship.

* * *

She notices his stiffen for a moment so she hugs him harder, and he relaxes into the hug, right there in some bookstore parking lot as it's about to rain. She yawns, and he releases her, and tells her to give up the keys. They had stopped for showers and a few hours of sleep at the last few hotels they had visited, but Elena had just showered and got things ready to leave in a few hours. No sleep. He was fairly sure she was full of coffee and blood, if he drank from her just then, he thinks she'd taste like coffee. He has to distract himself from that line of thinking, so he lets go, and holds out his hand. She hands him the keys, and is in the passenger seat before he's opened his door. She's asleep as he starts driving, and he carefully puts the blanket from the backseat over her, she's already out by the first stop sign.

* * *

It's a sign of trust, he recognizes.


	23. 4AM

AN: Song for this chapter: 400 Lux

* * *

She wakes up to dark, and quiet. Elijah hasn't messed with her playlist, so it's quietly playing in the background noise of the car and her breathing, and Elijah's.

"There are some flowers here. We only have a few miles until we're in California. I thought you might get some for your book." He tells her and she smiles at him and yawns.

"Thank you." She says, and she finds the book, and opens the car door-she turns up Lorde as she leaves to look. Sunrise isn't that far away, but she's always surprised how dark it is in the early hours of morning. She picks one, and records it, Elijah adjusts the volume when she returns.

She records it, and presses it. The book is returned to the backseat, and she shuts the door and adjusts the blanket.

"Thanks." She says, and he nods. She adjusts the volume slightly, leans her seat back, and falls asleep to Lorde.


	24. Tired

AN: Nearing the end here for this fic

Sorry for the temporary chapter mix up! It's five am.

* * *

She wakes up to sunshine, and green surrounding the car.

They're on the side of the road, and she notes that there are even more flowers here than in Oregon. She picks one, spending a little more time on this one, because it's the last, and it's perfect because now her book is filled up. Now all that's left is to weigh it down to press it as much as possible. But that's later. She writes the details Elijah gives, and he tells her that he's booked a room at a hotel that's just a few miles away. She's excited to sleep in a bed, she has no idea, honestly, how she thought six days without sleep was a good idea. She tells him this, and he laughs, not a little laugh either, one of the fuller ones that make everything seem okay. He's so beautiful when he smiles after that her breath catches in her throat and she wants to curse him for being so attractive.

She asks if they're going to send another box of books before their flight, and he tells her they don't have that many, they might as well take them on the plane for reading material. It makes sense, so she rolls with it. She's happy when they check into the hotel, she takes a shower, he took one a few hours prior. He's trying not to fall asleep, sitting on one of the beds, but Elena comes out with wet hair and contagious yawns. He takes a moment to just look at her. She's wearing pajamas, and she's yawning and has power over him. Even when sleepy. She demands he move back the covers because she doesn't feel like lifting her heavy bag off the other bed so she can sleep.

He obliges, and she's got her eyes closed when she speaks again.

"Love you, Elijah." And then she's out.

"I love you too." He confesses, although surely not in the way that she means, his eyes closing without his permission.


	25. Blue

AN: I have no idea how this got so cracky but I'm rolling with it.

* * *

When she wakes up, her head is on Elijah's chest, his arms are wrapped around her, loosely. Even if he doesn't love her back the way she wants him to, she's still the only person she'd ever willingly be this close to while sleeping. He's so relaxed when he's not awake, she thinks being so tense and serious all the time would give him wrinkles if he was human. But he isn't, so he'll survive, wrinkle free.

She closes her eyes for a moment. She doesn't open them when she can tell Elijah's awake, she's too comfortable. Elijah doesn't move for a few minutes either. But his phone buzzes and he reaches to grab it, and moves his arm so she can roll away from him. So she does.

"Morning." She yawns.

"Afternoon. We slept for quite a while." He tells her. She's stretching.

"I'm sure we needed it. I'm still a little tired." She admits, as he reads the texts from his siblings. She notices the frown on his face. He explains.

"Rebekah told me to call her when I got her text, she pranked Niklaus and was worried he might dagger her."

"What did she do?" Elena asks curiously.

"I don't believe Niklaus is very fond of having pastel blue hair." He says and she bursts out laughing. His lips quirk into a grin, and he sits up to call his sister. She turns her head as she stretches, and her stomach is exposed. She misses his tortured expression, and looks back at him when she hears it went to voicemail. He dials another number. She's betting it's Klaus. She scoots closer to him, they're sitting a few inches apart when his voice changes.

It's the tone she wants to say is just reserved for other people, his voice isn't that hard when he talks to her, nor would she want the deadly calculated tones in it as they talked.

"Niklaus." He says, and if it wasn't Elijah, if she didn't know him as she did, she's want to run at the word. Elijah has a gift for instilling fear.

"Elijah." Klaus groans.

"Undagger Rebekah. Immediately." He commands.

"She dyed my hair blue!" Klaus exclaims, and Elijah rolls his eyes.

"That is not sufficient reason to dagger her. Pull the dagger out, and give her your phone when she is able to talk." He says and they hear an odd sound, Elijah nods at it.

"She dyed my hair blue, not even a nice one, it's powder blue." Klaus complains and Elijah rolls his eyes again.

"Are you not capable of fixing your hair? Or shall I send someone to teach you how?" Elijah asks and Elena stifles her laughter. Klaus grumbles about being all powerful and invincible, and Elena lets a peal of laughter escape.

"Is Elena with you?" He asks, his voice full of curiosity.

"Indeed." Elijah confirms.

"Well you always-" Whatever insult Klaus is about to throw is interrupted by the sound of something dropping, the phone is Elena's guess, and there's some painful noises.

"I'll wait." Elijah says, and the phone is picked up.

"Thank you, Elijah." Rebekah says, crisply and there's another odd noise and then choking.

"I've got it from here." She assures him and Elijah tells her he believes her. Rebekah ends the call.

"This is an interesting way to end the last day of our trip." Elena says and he grins. His voice is back to normal when he agrees with her.

* * *

He's part of that family, part of that craziness.

Rebekah forgave her for daggering her ages ago after she saved the blonde's life. Elijah's training came in handy. He had looked her with the oddest expression she ever remembered seeing on his face as he opened the door, as she was covered in several other people's blood, helping his sister sit on the couch, one of the hunters had fucked up her knee. She hadn't been able to heal yet, Elena had thrown her a blood bag and apologized for the blood they were getting on his carpet. He had waved it off. Rebekah liked her now. She still wouldn't willingly sleep within a mile of Klaus, there were some issues there still. Kol liked her, and he always enjoyed annoying her with bad pick up lines, to her amusement. He always told her it was to get a rise out of Elijah. Of course, Elena thought. Kol's behavior wasn't up to Elijah's standards of manners. Kol hadn't been around as much lately, but they saw him at Christmas. One of his siblings would offer their home open for the holidays and insanity of their family. Elijah hadn't done it yet. She didn't press. His apartment was large, but it wasn't suited for having five other people over. Sage came with Finn, and they kept quietly to themselves in Switzerland, after they had left Mystic Falls.

But it'd be _worth_ it, to be his. His family isn't that bad, she thinks and he catches her staring at him.

The words almost spill out again, but she bites her lip to prevent them from escaping.

"Do you want dinner or breakfast?" She asks, moving off his bed. Only Elena, he thinks. _I love you_ , he thinks as he look at her.

* * *

"Whatever you want." He tells her as she searches for a dressy enough shirt.

"Are you up for Italian?" She asks.

"Of course." He doesn't care, honestly.

She smiles at him and she claims the bathroom to change and freshen up.


	26. Night

They order dessert first, for fun. Their waiter looks scandalized at the very idea, but a few minutes they're eating cheesecake anyway.

"So we leave in the morning?" She asks.

"Back to England." He confirms.

"I'm excited to sleep in my own bed." She admits.

He's been in her bed, it's comfortable. He's looking forward to his apartment. It'll be a bit odd, he thinks. He's used to hearing her a few feet away, his apartment might be too quiet after this.

* * *

"Are you an astronaut now?" He hears Elena asks.

"Hmmm?" He asks, looking away from whatever it was that had his attention.

"You were staring off into space. I thought I had lost you to NASA, there for a moment." She quips and his lips quirk, but he doesn't give her a full grin.

"I have no interest in being an astronaut." He assures her as she takes her last bite. The last is his, they've been alternating.

"Oh good. I was worried." She jokes and he gives her a quiet laugh, just as their food arrives.

* * *

He convinces her to drink wine with him, something he tells her will go with their food. She trusts Elijah, she tells herself, as wine arrives. She's not overly fond of it, she remembers one summer where she, Bonnie and Caroline had gotten completely drunk on stolen wine, the hangovers had so not been worth it.

But he's right, like he almost always is. It's wonderful and after they pay the bill they go to as many bookstores as her map app can identify. He pretends to be annoyed, groaning goodnaturedly, that she had already found the unfindable book. She tells him that it means they can look for even more books.

"Are you attempting to kill me with books, lovely Elena?" He asks.

"I'd never want to kill you." She swears.

"Except for that one time." He teases, and he's referring to the time she staked him.

"Hey, that was not permanent death. That was like, coma at best. Besides, I was planning on taking it out as soon as possible. I had a plan." She defends herself, her voice quiet as they enter a large bookstore.

"Of course." He's teasing her, she realizes. It's hard to keep a grin off her face as they buy seven more books, he wonders why she needs another journal, let alone four, but he leaves it be.

* * *

They return to their hotel with another backseat full of books and it's the perfect way to end the trip, she thinks.


	27. Forever

AN: Like two more chapters, I swear. The song mentioned is It's Time by Imagine Dragons, the quote is from Lewis Carroll.

* * *

They get to the private airport early, he complains that carrying so many books will hurt his back. Elena agrees, saying he is a very old man, after all. The amused look she receives in return makes her want to pull him by his tie and kiss him hard, but she refrains. Elijah taught her self restraint. She thinks it's ironic, as she loads her suitcase into the plane. She double checks to make sure they have everything packed, she doesn't want to leave anything behind. She finds her phone cord and his sunglasses. He wears aviators, and she can't look at him when he does. He's too attractive. It's unfair. She hands them to him wordlessly, and he tells her the car will be taken care of, it's already been arranged. She feels a little attached to it. She tells him that she doesn't think she drove that much when she was working on her driver's license. He just laughs, and they sit down, seat belts buckled, bags put away. The plane takes off, and she asks him how long the flight is. He tells her that it's thirteen hours, and she tells him she's going to sleep through it. Fuck jetlag. He gives that remark a smile and doesn't bother making a comment about proper language. Elena swears when she wants to. She plays music on her phone, something beautiful about growing up but trying not to change, and he understands it. Change can be scary. Stillness, keeping things the same is impossible, but so many people try it. So many. It's an impossible thing, but people do impossible things everyday. He looks at Elena and he feels it. He doesn't want this to change or warp. He doesn't want to fade into a memory. He wants to stay right here, in this moment. He remembers a quote he had seen somewhere.

" _How long is forever?"_

" _Sometimes, just one second."_

And it's true, right then. But after a few minutes he remembers that he wants to see what the future brings. He wants to see his siblings happy, he wants to see what Elena does in the future. But this moment-makes him want to stop. Just for a little while.

* * *

The plane drops slightly at one point during the flight, air is tricky-but Elijah wonders if his heavy thoughts are weighing down the plane.


	28. Apartment

She takes a deep breath when they're on the ground, Elijah's putting her suitcase in the trunk. She's holding a box of books for the backseat.

"I'll come over tomorrow." She promises. He looks at her, carefully taking the box from her so she can open one of the car doors for him.

"To sort all of these books." She adds. He nods, and she yawns as the box is secure, and when he moves back she shuts the car door.

* * *

He drives to her apartment, and offers to walk her to her door. She agrees, it's late at night. He might as well. She carries her bag, and unlocks the door. She invites him inside, yawning. She slips off her shoes and so does he.

"I might need tea just to get ready for bed." She admits. Six days without sleep is not a mistake she'll make again. This is what crashing feels like. He laughs, and shuts her front door. She tells him that if he holds on for a moment, she's fairly sure she has his keys as well.

So he does, she enters her bedroom and turns on the light, an attempt to keep her awake. He wishes her yawns weren't so infectious, he's yawning too. She sits on her bed and tries to look through her bag, but it's way too early in the morning to deal with things like that. She moves her bag to the floor and tells him that he can stay if he wants, they know where his spare key is, but he looks like he's about to pass out from jet lag.

She pulls her covers back, and is almost asleep before she whispers,

"Fuck jet lag." He laughs, and he sits next to her, she's moved from sitting to sleeping on her stomach, and he pulls the covers over her before his eyes close too.


	29. Confession

She wakes up with an odd feeling. She usually rolls over and stretches before she gets out of bed, but she's got her arm over something. Someone. She yawns. Elijah. She wonders what time it is, and then decides she doesn't care. Her phone is probably dead already. She opens her eyes and looks at him. He looks so much younger when he's asleep, and she wonders how old he was when he was turned. She moves a little, and one of his eyes open. He closes it and opens both. She loves him, she realizes. She had hoped it was just a stupid crush, but she's in love with him. She wants this with him. She wants everything with him. He doesn't. Doesn't love her, doesn't want her and doesn't know. She'd prefer stabbing. It hurts less.

* * *

Her eyes are warm as she looks at him, and then she blinks, and the expression changes. She's hurt. She mutters an excuse about getting his suitcase so he'll let go of her. He does, and she leaves her bed. The keys to the car are on her nightstand. She takes them.

* * *

She disappears before he can say anything. Something happened in Elena's mind. He was so close to telling her right there. He gets out of her bed to figure out what happened. His suitcase is in front of her bedroom door when he opens it. He hears Elena brushing her teeth. Guest bedroom bathroom, he guesses. He gets ready for the morning, at least somewhat presentable for the drive back to his home. Filled with boxes of books, he's sure. He sees her in her kitchen. He knows Elena likes to deal with her wounds and injuries in private, and he wants to apologize because he's going to press at the one that made her eyes turn cold and sad.

"I have something to tell you." She says, and his worry is slowly rising.

"And it's stupid, and it's going to ruin everything. But I just need to tell you, and I'm sorry." Her voice is thick.

"I don't want to ruin this, Elijah. I don't." She says and he wants to comfort her but he has a feeling it would make things worse. He seems to be the cause of her anguish. He didn't know he could feel anxiety like this.

* * *

She waits a moment, taking a deep breath and he's pretty sure he's stopped breathing. He's vulnerable, part of him thinks distantly. Elena could destroy him right now and _he would let her._ She's closer than he's let anyone be in decades. Centuries.

"I love you." She confesses, and he's been preparing to let her say something she seemed so sure was going to hurt him. It's the opposite.

"What do you mean?" He asks, he needs clarification. There's a difference between love and being in love.

"I'm in love with you." She says miserably, and she avoids his eyes.

"I get it, you don't and-" She begins. He cuts her off.

"Elena." He drawls, saying her name slowly so he can think. _Go for it._ Part of him thinks.

"I am in love with you as well." The words leave his lips unfiltered.

She looks at him, startled. He finds himself pressed against her fridge. She looks at him for what seems like an eternity, Elijah's sure another century has passed , actually. Her lips brush against his, and while she's trapping his torso, she isn't doing anything about his arms. One wraps around her and the other is at the back of her neck, pulling her closer. He deepens the kiss. He does love her, and he seems desperate to prove it. She lets him.

* * *

It's a few hours before they make it back to his home to sort books.

* * *

FINIS


End file.
